1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the field of flue gas purification technology, and to a method for operating a flue gas purification plant.
2. Discussion of Background
The brand name SCONOx describes a relatively new process for reducing NOx emissions in combustion flue gases of gas turbines, diesel engines and the like. NOx is deposited as potassium nitrite and potassium nitrate on an SCONOx absorber (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,911 and the article by L. Czarnecki et al., SCONOx—Ammonia Free NOx Removal Technology for Gas Turbines, Proc. of 2000 Int. Joint Power Generation Conf., Miami Beach, Fla., Jul. 23–26, 2000).
Since it is easy for the SCONOx absorber to be deactivated by SO2 in the flue gas, another absorber is connected upstream of it—a so-called SCOSOx absorber—which absorbs SO2 from the flue gas and hence protects the SCONOx absorber. The chemical reactions taking place in the two absorbers are described in detail in the aforementioned article by L. Czarnecki.
As soon as the deposition capacity of at least one of the absorber types has been exhausted (typically after about 20 minutes), the absorbers need to be regenerated. This is done by subdividing the overall absorber into individual chambers, which can be individually disconnected from the flue gas stream by using switchable dampers. For regeneration, selected chambers are disconnected from the flue gas stream while the other chambers remain in the flue gas stream. A regeneration gas, which consists of hydrogen, natural gas or other hydrocarbons and an oxygen-free carrier gas (usually steam), is passed through the disconnected chambers in order to regenerate both the NOx absorbers and the SO2 absorbers of the chambers in question. However, since the two different absorber types respond differently during the regeneration, they are regenerated separately. This is made possible by an arrangement of feed and discharge lines and valves for the regeneration as reproduced by way of example in the single figure.
The figure shows an absorber chamber 11 of a flue gas purification plant 10, through which flue gas to be purified is sent from a combustion process. The unpurified flue gas 25 flows into the chamber 11 from the left. The purified flue gas 26 flows out of the chamber 11 again toward the right. The chamber 11 can be disconnected from the flue gas stream for regeneration purposes using two dampers 12 and 13, which are arranged at the input and the output. In the figure, the dampers 12, 13 have already been closed.
In the chamber 11, a first absorber 14 (SCOSOx) for absorbing SO2 and a second absorber 15 (SCONOx) for absorbing NOx are arranged successively spaced apart in the flow direction. A feed line 27 for the regeneration gas opens via a first valve 17 (inlet valve) into the intermediate space between the first and second absorbers 14 and 15. Discharge lines 21 and 24, in which a second valve 16 and a third valve 19 (outlet valves) are respectively fitted, are connected before the first absorber 14 and after the second absorber 15, as seen in the flow direction. Within a regeneration phase, the first valve (inlet valve) 17 is opened so that regeneration gas can flow in. The other two valves (outlet valves) 16 and 19 are opened in succession, so that the associated absorbers 14 and 15 can be regenerated successively. The SO2 absorber 14 is usually regenerated first (valves 16 open; valve 19 closed). The regeneration gas in the feed line 27 is produced from steam 23, by means of a reformer 20, and natural gas 22 containing methane delivered though a valve 18.
In the flue gas purification plant 10, typically about ten chambers 11 of the type represented in the figure are connected in parallel, two of which will be in the regeneration phase at any given time. With a regeneration time of 5 minutes per individual regeneration, 25 minutes are required in total to regenerate each of the chambers 11 once (=25-minute cycle time).
Currently, both the SCOSOx absorbers and the SCONOx absorbers, or the relevant catalysts, are regenerated during each regeneration cycle. During the regeneration of the SCOSOx absorber, all oxygen which is absorbed on the catalytic surface of the absorber must first be consumed by the regeneration gas before the release of absorbed SO2 that takes place during the regeneration can begin. This prior oxygen depletion takes some time and consumes a significant amount of hydrogen. About 70% of the total regeneration time of 5 minutes is therefore expended for the regeneration of the SCOSOx absorber 14. So that enough hydrogen is available for the regeneration of the SCONOx absorber 15 over the remaining 30% of the regeneration time, a comparatively high hydrogen concentration is required in the regeneration gas. A high hydrogen concentration raises safety questions and can be provided only if the reformer 20, which is responsible for generating hydrogen from natural gas, operates at quite a high temperature level. Any increase in the operating temperature of the reformer, however, entails a significant rise in the operating costs, since the temperature of the regeneration gas as a whole needs to be increased.